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BACKGROUND:
The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the severity of permanent tooth impaction and a number of predefined factors, including tooth type, age, gender, tooth agenesis, microdontia of maxillary lateral incisor, and retained deciduous predecessors.

METHODS:
A sample of 2979 dental patients, aged 15 to 40 years, was surveyed by two calibrated examiners for permanent tooth impaction (excluding third molars). On panoramic radiographs, the impacted teeth were initially ranked based on their vertical, horizontal, and angular positions, and the ranking was then analysed for distribution by the predefined factors. To test the age factor, patients were divided into younger (15 to 25 yr) and older (between 25 and 40 yr) age groups. The statistical significance of the ranked vertical, horizontal, and angular positions of impacted teeth by the investigated factors was determined using the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney U test.

RESULTS:
The angular position of the impacted teeth was more severe in the older age group (P = 0.012) and in females (P = 0.018). The maxillary canine had more severe horizontal (P = 0.001) and angular (P = 0.003) impactions in females. Tooth agenesis was associated with less severe horizontal impaction (P = 0.041) in the mandibular second premolar. In addition, microdontia of the maxillary lateral incisor was associated with more severe horizontal impaction in general, and more severe horizontal (P = 0.024) and angular (P = 0.010) impaction of the mandibular second premolar in particular. Finally, our results showed that a retained deciduous predecessor was linked to a less severe vertical impaction of the mandibular second premolar (P = 0.030) and horizontal impaction of the maxillary second premolar (P = 0.037) but more severe angular impaction of the mandibular canine.

CONCLUSIONS:
This study suggests that the more delayed the treatment, being a female, the presence of maxillary lateral incisor with microdontia, and retained lower deciduous canines might be associated with more severe position of the impacted teeth. Because the severity of tooth impaction would follow different patterns when considering the investigated factors, it is mandatory to include such factors during dental diagnoses and the planning of preventive or interceptive interventions for young patients.

INTRODUCTION:

The purpose of this study was to compare in vitro the canal and isthmus debridement of manual-dynamic, passive ultrasonic, and laser-activated irrigation with an Er:YAG laser in mesial roots of human mandibular molars.

METHODS:

Fifty extracted mandibular molars with an isthmus were embedded in resin and sectioned axially 4 mm from the apex. The teeth were reassembled with guide pins and bolts, and the mesial canals were instrumented up to a ProTaper F2 rotary file (Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland). Teeth were randomly assigned to the following irrigant activation groups (n = 10): conventional needle irrigation (NI), manual-dynamic irrigation with a ProTaper F2 gutta-percha cone, ultrasonically activated irrigation using a size 20 Irrisafe (Satelec Acteon, Mérignac, France), and laser-activated irrigation (LAI) with an Er:YAG laser and a conical 400-μm fiber tip in the canal entrance or a 600-μm tip over the canal entrance. Root cross-sectional images were taken before and after final irrigation, and the area occupied by debris in the main canal and the isthmus was determined using image analysis software. Differences in debris before and after activation were statistically compared within and across groups.

RESULTS:

Significant reductions in debris levels were observed in all groups, except for NI and manual-dynamic irrigation (canal only). None of the methods rendered the canal systems debris free. In the canal, LAI with an Er:YAG laser and a 600-μm tip over the canal entrance removed significantly more debris than NI. In the isthmus, LAI with an Er:YAG laser and a conical 400-μm fiber tip in the canal entrance removed significantly more debris than NI.

CONCLUSIONS:

Within the limitations of this in vitro study, canal and isthmus cleanliness significantly improved after irrigant activation.

Dear Editor:

In clinical dermatology, abscesses are generally caused by secondary impetiginization of a previous furuncle or a ruptured epidermal cyst. We encountered a rare case of cutaneous abscess in the maxillo-mandibular region, complicated by bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw.

Since 2011, the World Health Organization has encouraged a global phase-down of the use of dental amalgam and actively supported the use of alternative, resin-based dental materials. The resins consist of (meth)acrylate monomers derived from Bisphenol A (BPA), such as Bisphenol A glycidyl methacrylate (BisGMA) and Bisphenol A ethoxylate methacrylate (BisEMA) or triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) and urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA) which lack the BPA backbone. Besides monomers, other compounds such as photoinitiators and stabilizing agents can be present in the dental resin matrices. The current study consists in the development of an analytical method for the separation and identification of dental material components using LC-QTOF-MS. The developed method was applied on several dental material ingredients, unpolymerized composite resins, and a common dental sealant. The acquired high resolution accurate-mass data was analyzed using suspect screening with an in-house developed library. Next to the main components, various isomers and impurities related to the production of the main component have been detected and identified in the dental material ingredients. In total, 39 chemicals have been identified in the analyzed dental materials. On average 15 chemicals have been identified. Major components, such as BisEMA, BisGMA and TEGDMA were identified although they were not always stated in the material safety data sheets. Minor components included photoinitiators, such as ethyl 4-dimethyl aminobenzoate (EDMAB) and (meth)acrylates impurities originating from production of main ingredients.

The current paper published in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity by Kuhlman and colleagues demonstrate that even mild inflammatory responses following vaccination with the influenza vaccine are sufficient to induce depressed mood and cognitive impairments in healthy young adults (Kuhlman et al., 2018).  The authors found that following vaccination participants demonstrated changes of varying magnitude in serum IL-6 levels measured pre- and 1 day post-vaccination, and that larger increases in circulating IL-6 were associated with greater mood disturbances and cognitive symptoms.  Changes in mood and cognitive function were measured the week prior to and the week after vaccination by the analysis of daily diaries that consisted of the 15-item Profile of Mood States (POMS-15) and 3-item POMS-Confusion subscale (inability to concentrate, forgetfulness, and confusion).

Endodontic therapy aims at eliminating the existing infection and also inhibiting re-infection. Endodontic failures attribute almost 30-40% of dental failures. Microorganisms are recognized worldwide as the etiological agent for the majority of endodontic infections. The current day medicine emphasizes on understanding the etio-pathogenesis of disease process rather than just symptomatic approach. The limitations of conventional culture techniques like low sensitivity, non-specificity etc has paved way for more potential molecular biology techniques. The molecular techniques are highly sensitive & highly specific making it an integral part of modern day medicine and research. This tool gives insight to the interactions of molecules like DNA, RNA and proteins that are the key factors for life process. A significant contribution of molecular biology methods to medical microbiology relates to the identification of previously unknown human pathogens. More than 50 % of previously uncultivable oral bacteria have been identified by this advanced technique. The techniques can be applied extensively for diagnosis, management and prevention of pathology. This review intends to familiarize various molecular techniques and underlying concepts. This in turn facilitates in implementing them to various contemporary areas of research.

Background: This study compares the radiographic distribution of apical periodontitis (AP) in rootfilled and endodontically treated teeth among healthy controls and patients with systemic diseases; the incidence of AP was almost twice as high in the latter group.
Objective: The question arises as to whether the biogenic amines (mercaptan/thioether/hydrogen sulfide) originating from endodontically treated teeth have systemic, subtoxic and immunological effects.
Method: In order to determine this, local hydrogen sulfide measurements of endodontically treated teeth were combined with the laboratory serum analyses of modified proteins to assess the relationship of these compounds with type IV immune reactions.
Results: It was found that 42.5% of the group with systemic diseases showed immunological disturbance as a result of root-filled teeth. Furthermore, the presence of AP was almost three times higher than in the control group (17.2% versus 5.9%, respectively).
Conclusion: In summary, the data demonstrates that local pathologies caused by endodontically treated teeth may increase immunological and systemic dysfunction.

The relationship between oral and general health has been increasingly recognised during the past two decades. Several epidemiological studies have linked poor oral health with cardiovascular disease, poor glycaemic control in diabetics, low birth-weight pre-term babies and a number of other conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis. It is therefore important that the individuals should be made aware of the risks associated with poor oral health. Hence, dentists and medical practitioners should work together to provide comprehensive health care, thereby reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with oral infections.

Inflammation may be a risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF). Oral infections frequently lead to chronic inflammation, such as gingivitis, periodontitis, and endodontic lesions. In this narrative review, we consider five basic pathogenic mechanisms that involve oral infections and inflammations in the pathogenesis of AF: (1) low level bacteremia by which oral bacteria enter the blood stream at inflamed sites of the oral cavity and invade the heart; (2) Systemic inflammation induced by inflammatory mediators, which are released from the sites of oral inflammation into the blood stream, affecting cardiac remodeling; (3) autoimmunity against molecular structures expressed in the heart caused by the host immune response to specific components of oral pathogens; (4) potentially arrhythmic effects mediated by activation of the autonomous nervous system triggered by oral inflammations; and (5) arrhythmic effects resulting from specific bacterial toxins that are produced by oral pathogenic bacteria. A number of studies support the involvement of all five mechanisms, suggesting a potentially complex contribution of oral inflammations to the pathogenesis of AF.